In the exercise and fitness field, various devices have been developed to enable persons to exercise and maintain physical fitness in relatively confined spaces. While outdoor jogging is a popular method of keeping fit, outdoor jogging has many disadvantages, including inclement weather, traffic, unavailability of good running surfaces, and the like. Other types of outdoor activity, such as tennis, racketball and team sports require interaction with other persons and also require a relatively large amount of space. Consequently, compact fitness machines of different types have been developed for use in relatively small rooms or small spaces for enabling persons to maintain a full fitness or exercise program which is not subject to weather variations, availability of team partners or the like.
Similarly, needs exist for therapeutic rehabilitation equipment for assisting physical therapists in rehabilitating persons who have undergone knee surgery, hip surgery and the like, as well as assisting stroke victims and other physically impaired persons in exercise recovery and rehabilitation programs.
One type of exercise machine which has become relatively popular, both for athletes and in rehabilitation programs, is a stationary treadmill which employs a motor driven endless belt on which the user may walk or run in place, depending upon the speed of operation of the treadmill belt. Standard treadmills, however, still require the entire weight of the person to be carried by the legs and feet of the user, with the advantage being that a treadmill may be used to provide walking or running exercise indoors in a limited space.
Underwater treadmills have been developed for use in training and therapeutic exercise of horses. Two patents disclosing underwater treadmills for horses, are the Scanlon U.S. Pat. #3,485,213 and Davis U.S. Pat. #4,332,217. Both of these patents are directed to devices in which a water filled tank is provided with a treademill on its bottom. The treadmill may be operated at various speeds to adjust or control the level of workout provided for the horses. The water may be used to apply a buoyant force on the animal to reduce concussive forces, if desired. The depth of the water may be varied to change the resistance to movement of the limbs of the horses for controlling the workout or stress level for a desired training program.
The Brazelton U.S. Pat. #4,197,815 discloses a tank for exercising horses by swimming. A relatively small tank is used, and a water flow rate is established from one end of the tank to the other by means of pumps. There is no treadmill in the tank, and the depth of the water is selected to be sufficiently deep to force the horse to swim.
The Fontaine U.S. Pat. #4,574,739 also is directed to a horse exercising device comprising a water tank with a treadmill located in its bottom. The treadmill, however, is vertically adjustable to permit the horse to walk onto the treadmill while it is located above the water. The treadmill then is lowered into the water to the desired depth. In all other respects the treadmill disclosed in the Fontaine Patent operates in a manner similar to the treadmills of the Scanlon and Davis Patents discussed above.
The Gaudreau, Jr. U.S. Pat. #4,712,788 is directed to an aquatic exercise apparatus for people. This apparatus is somewhat similar in structure to the one disclosed in the Fontaine Patent, but it is mounted adjacent the edge of a swimming pool. A treadmill surface is located, in its upper position, in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the deck surrounding the pool. The user then moves onto the treadmill which is lowered to a desired depth in the pool. Specifically, the device is structured to permit a wheelchair user to wheel onto a platform adjacent the moving treadmill part; and the platform and treadmill both are lowered together to the desired depth. Buoyancy provided by the water permits the user to get out of the wheelchair and begin exercising and, after exercising, get back into the wheelchair while the entire platform is underwater. After the user is back in the wheelchair, the platform is raised to its original position to permit the user to exit the platform onto the deck surrounding the pool.
It is desirable to provide an aquatic exercise and rehabilitation system which provides the advantages of the various known prior art devices and which further is capable of use for athlete fitness workouts, as well as, rehabilitation uses and which is superior in operation and more flexible in application than the devices and systems of the prior art.